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Factors Of Maturity

by Chris Simmons

According to scriptures, we begin our life as a child of God as a “new creature” (II Corinthians 5:17) or a “babe” (I Corinthians 3:1; Hebrews 5:13). But like any parent of a new born child, our heavenly Father expects that we will not remain in that condition, but rather grow and mature. As with our physical maturity, there are factors that must be accounted for if we hope to grow and mature spiritually. To that end, the Hebrew writer identifies three important factors in our spiritual growth in Hebrews 5:12-14, For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

The first factor is time. We don’t expect a new baby to grow physically without the passage of time and the Lord does not expect spiritual maturity without it either. Babes are not expected to be full grown mature Christians in no time. There are two dangers we need to be careful of regarding time and maturity. The first is expecting maturity without the passage of time and lacking patience for those who need the time to grow up spiritually. There have been many older Christians who have failed to exercise patience towards newer Christians and failed to give them the time to grow up in Christ that they themselves required. Granting patience and time is never to be construed as tolerance for sin and wickedness but we are to recognize that maturation does take time. The other danger that the Hebrew writer is notably confronting in this passage is not being accountable for maturity with the passage of time. “By this time” the scriptures say, we ought to be making progress in our knowledge, our faith, and our walk as children of God. We should be making progress in our spiritual growth and Christians with much time and many years under their belt are expected not to act as new born Christians do as we read in I Corinthians 3:1-2. Understanding God’s expectation for growth over time, we need to be very careful how we use our time (Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5), making the most of our opportunities to learn what the will of the Lord is and becoming more diligent and consistent in practicing it.

The second factor is teaching. The Hebrew writer references the need for babes to be taught in their pursuit of maturity. Spiritual maturity is not a product of time alone but must be combined with sound teaching. The passage of time without the teaching of the “whole counsel” (Acts 20:27; NKJV, ASV) offers no hope for growth. “Sound doctrine” is what provides the nourishment (I Timothy 4:6) that we all need for growth throughout our lives. There is to be a progression in the teaching we receive as we progress from the “milk” of the word that is foundational for all that we learn to the “meat” or “solid food” that fuels our continued growth. Paul was critical of the brethren in Corinth because they had not made that progression in spiritual development (I Corinthians 3:1-2) and the Hebrew writer is making that same point here in this context of Hebrews 5:12-14. What happens when time passes and we choose not to set aside the time each day to be edified and taught through our diligent personal study (II Timothy 2:15) of the sound doctrine? What if we choose to not “partake” of opportunities to learn in the assembly? Will we go to the right source and learn from Jesus (Matthew 11:28) or from men? These questions help us to conclude that spiritual maturity only comes through sound teaching.

The third factor is practice. That is, maturity is dependent on our ability to put into action the truths that we have learned and “prove ourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers” (James 1:22). Jesus taught that spiritual maturity and stability are based on our ability to put into action in our lives the things we have learned from Him (Matthew 7:24-27). It has been appropriately said that God’s word has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found challenging and not tried. God’s word has been wanting of men who will truly and consistently live, practice, and apply its truths. The word for “practice” in Hebrews 5:14 means to “exercise vigorously, in any way.” The same word is used in I Timothy 4:7 where Paul exhorted Timothy to “discipline (exercise) yourself for the purpose of godliness.” Spiritual maturity demands the vigorous exercise of the truths revealed in God’s word. Ezra the scribe understood the importance of exercising or practicing what he studied in God’s word as it was said of him in Ezra 7:10 that he, “set his heart to (1) study the law of the Lord, and to (2) practice it, and to (3) teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Maturity will never come through time and study alone but must include enduring acts of obedience. Because the practice of our faith will be difficult, challenging, and costly at times, we have “need of endurance, so that when you have done (practiced) the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (Hebrews 10:36).

Paul wrote in Galatians 4:19, “my children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” True maturity is established by our ability to have Jesus Christ formed in us. That is a lifelong pursuit that we need time, teaching, and practice to achieve.

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